Lipedema Symptoms and Early Signs

What Is Lipedema?

Lipedema is a chronic condition involving abnormal fat and connective tissue, most commonly affecting the legs and sometimes the arms. It often presents as disproportionate lower-body fat with tenderness, heaviness, and resistance to change with traditional diet and exercise.

Front view of a person's legs with visible cellulite and skin irregularities.

What Women Often Notice First

  • Legs that look and feel different than the rest of the body

  • Fat that does not respond to traditional diet and exercise

  • Tenderness or pain that does not match activity level

  • Swelling that increases later in the day

  • Easy bruising

  • Small, firm nodules under the skin

How Lipedema Can Feel

Women commonly describe:

  • Heaviness in the legs

  • Sensitivity to touch

  • A feeling of pressure or tightness

  • Frustration when lifestyle changes do not affect lower body fat

What Makes It Different From General Weight Gain

With general weight gain:

  • Fat distribution is more even

  • Weight loss typically affects the body proportionally

With lipedema:

  • Fat distribution is often disproportionate (smaller waist)

  • Tissue may feel nodular or tender

  • Lower-body fat may remain resistant to change

What to Do Next

If these patterns sound familiar, start with a structured review

Take the 2-minute Lipedema Screener

You can also download the Free Discover Toolkit to organize symptoms and prepare for your next visit.

Frequently Asked Questions About Lipedema Symptoms

  • Early signs often include fat in the legs that does not respond to traditional diet and exercise, tenderness to touch, swelling that increases later in the day, and easy bruising. Some women also notice small, firm (pea-sized) nodules under the skin.

  • Many women report tenderness, heaviness, or sensitivity in affected areas. Pain may not match activity level and can occur even without injury. Some women do not report pain.

  • No. Lipedema involves abnormal fat and connective tissue, usually with disproportionate lower-body involvement, tenderness, and resistance to change with traditional diet, exercise, and even bariatric surgery.

  • With lipedema, lower-body fat may remain resistant to change even when overall weight decreases. This pattern is one of the signs women commonly report.

  • Women often start with a primary care clinician and may be referred to a vascular specialist, lymphedema specialist, or another clinician experienced in recognizing lipedema. Evaluation is based on history and physical exam

Educational use only. This content does not provide medical diagnosis or treatment advice.